Free-agent forward Elton Brand is hoping the Dallas Mavericks submit the winning bid for his services among eligible teams and claim him off of amnesty waivers, according to a source close to the 33-year-old. Brand was officially amnestied by the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday at 5 p.m., starting the 48-hour claim process in which teams that are under the salary cap can submit blind bids to claim him. The team that submits the highest bid gets the player.

Ideally, Brand would want to clear waivers, according to the source. If no team submitted a claim, he would become an unrestricted free agent and would be able to sign with any team, including those over the cap, as long as they had cap exceptions. But the likelihood of no team under the cap making a bid is unlikely, given the dearth of quality big men available. Brand has slowed some in the past few years after suffering an Achilles’ injury, but his career averages of 18.3 points and 9.4 rebounds are probably too good to pass up.

Going to Dallas “would be great,” the source said.

League sources indicated that at least three teams with room, the Cavaliers, Bucks and Raptors, would not be making bids on Brand. The Suns and Hornets were contemplating making a bid, according to other league sources. But teams are leery of making bids if Brand doesn’t want to play there. The Clippers had to do some fence-mending with guard Chauncey Billups after they claimed him off of waivers for a little more than $2 million last December, following his amnesty by the Knicks. Billups had wanted to clear amnesty waivers and sign with the Heat.

The Mavericks, the source close to Brand said, provide the best fit among the teams under the cap. They are well-coached and have an obvious superstar in Dirk Nowitzki. The Mavericks missed out on free-agent guard Deron Williams, their top target, who re-signed with the Nets. But Dallas made several moves to bolster its roster on Wednesday, agreeing to terms with free-agent center Chris Kaman on a one-year deal. (The Mavericks then opted to use the same amnesty provision the 76ers used on Brand on center Brendan Haywood, who is owed $27 million over the next three years plus an option year for an additional $10.5 million.)

Later Wednesday, the Mavericks agreed to a sign-and-trade deal with the Pacers that will send backup center Ian Mahinmi to Indiana for guards Darren Collison and Dahntay Jones. Collison could well be the Mavericks’ starter at the point next season after the team failed to come to terms with Williams or Steve Nash, who was traded from Phoenix to the Lakers. The Mavericks also had interest in restricted free agent guard Jeremy Lin, but Lin is expected to return to the Knicks after New York matches an offer sheet that is likely to be officially tendered by Houston in the next few days. Brand could back up both Nowitzki and Kaman, and play next to either.

Brand is also friends with Kaman, with whom he played with the Clippers for five seasons. The Clippers made the second round of the playoffs for the first time in three decades in 2006 with Brand and Kaman forming a strong frontcourt duo. But Brand left Los Angeles for Philadelphia in 2008 as a free agent after missing all but the last few games of the 2007-08 regular season rehabbing the Achilles’ tear.

Teams that are eligible have to submit minimum bids of $1.35 million, the minimum salary for a veteran like Brand with more than 10 years’ experience. Since he only has one year left on his contract he only can get the minimum for one year. Teams can create additional cap room if they’re interested in bidding by waiving non-guaranteed players on their roster, but can’t trade players to create the room. The winning bid will be subtracted from the $18.1 million the 76ers still owe Brand; the Sixers will pay the balance of what’s left. But they can spread their payments to Brand out over three years.

Forget the Mavs? They will have only Dirk and Marion under contract next summer. Marion will probably be gone by then too. The big spenders are all maxed out and Bynum, Paul, Howard, Harden, Ginobli and a load of quality FAs will be available. They may get a lottery draft pick, too, though that looks doubtful. Forget your team!

Kaman is not that good hes cool but if they get brand he would have to be a SF and Nowitzki a SF cuz they both PF and they would both need to be out there on court but they still need oj mayo and a real center they should get young players n shooter not old washed up people brand not good how he use to be hes washed up

nice partial recovery by Cubes and Donnie….I like Collison but he is small at 160lbs…we need a big physical defensive minded pg to share the duty with Collison…Collison will have trouble with Westbrook, Wade etc.

You can put the 6’8″ Elton Brand at center if u want but that is not solving ANY of the inside problems Miami has. Good luck getting a guy who was due to make 18 mill this year to take a contract worth about 3. He can stay a free agent this year and make SIX times the amount he could get in Miami.

he can only stay a free agent if teams with cap space don’t bid. as the article says, he can be bought for a bit over a mil for the next season, whether he likes it or not. he doesn’t have to suit up, but he’ll be wherever he’s told to go via the amnesty bid.

Im excited again, if they can get Brand that would be a great recovery from this previous season shortcomings and free agent losses just a week ago. They need a solid backup center and wing scorer and they may have pieces to be a deep playoff team.

It’s really sad to see Dallas falling apart to soon after getting a ring… If they just sign Chandler JJ Butler and Stevenson and add few role players last season they might get a back to back championship. It took 10+ years for them build a championship roster and just like that a player they are hoping sign this summer derailed them from another title hope. But Cuban is a dedicaded owner and im sure Dallas will be back ontrack the question is when and if still with Dirk.

As a die hard mavs fan, dont really see the logic in this. this was a team that overachieved and got hot with dirk. Dirk was UNSTOPPABLE. but with that said, not sure that would been enough to be legitamate contenders. If you have the chance to rebuild a team with Dwight as your center, you’d be stupid not to at least make an attempt to do so. How many dominate big mean are there in this league? Dirk is on the downslide of his career though he is what made the mavs. He wants someone to be his successor. He knows he isnt going to be there forever. Aside from all that, Cubes didnt get rich over night, he is managed his business well and was able to take advantage. Same thing here, he is attempting to hit the homerun, honestly, you cant blame the guy for trying… after all it is HIS money and team

You know how I can tell heat fans from the rest people. They NEVER tell the players that are trying to get on a team to go ANYWHERE ELSE but the heat. They don’t think LOGICALLY, they’re retards who only say “if you want a ring…go to the heat” “come to the heat, they’ll show you love” “your a great fit for the heat” “you’d be a great fit for the big 3, lbj would dominate with you”. Like…stfu already! lmfao! Gah! You don’t have intelligent things to say, even the remotely smart ones go “that’s an ok fit, they would really help out that team..*wait for it*..buuuut if you want a ring, go to the heat”(there it is!) lmfaoooo. You guys don’t want any type of competition, yall are some LAMES. Soon as a team might show some type of threat with a player joining you want him t ogo to YOU guys. Some scary berry a$$ foos, let the teams do what they do and prove yourselves worthy of beating good teams. Stop trying to keep people weak, because you can’t play unhealthy and unexperienced teams forever.

i think that we the latest additions in MAVs, they are slowly becoming a stronger contender– they still need a good back up for Kaman; Mcgee would be a good choice– also they can look at the other Olympic teams like Nigeria, Russia , Lithuania and Spain– they can also scout the good big men participating in the Summer League. Keep on seeking Mavs and you’ll find them– I happy the MAVs are doing their Best Efforts to become Champions again–

I don’t see Dallas making the playoffs this year, with or without Brand. Unless they make some trades, but not with any of the remaining free agents. Just feel bad for nowitzki though, but at least he has a ring.

I cannot understand the process that they will make to get brand but I will talk about the main subject.If Dallas will sign Brand then they should trade Kaman or Brand for an SG because those two cannot produce big if their minutes will be subtracted because they both play the C position and it can be more subtract because of the other bench C.If Dallas can get a strong SG ,Dallas can allow Brand to be the bench C or sixth man.So the lineup will be PG:Collison SG:Strong SG SF:Shawn Marion PF:Dirk C:Kaman Bench PG:West C:(Sixth Man)Elton Brand

I am still sad about Deron resigning with the Nets. Would have given the Mavs probability to acquire Dwight if ever it happened. Having Brand, Kaman, Collison and Dahntay doesnt necessarily mean they’re back on track. Being a championship contender is still a question that needs to be proven.

Dallas now seems to try the big deal next year. This team doesn’t really look like a contender to me, even if they get Brand. I think that Cubans strategy doesn’t work but I’d love to be proved otherwise.